San Francisco Bay Area Staff

Morgan Weibel joined Tahirih in 2010. As Executive Director of Tahirih’s San Francisco Bay Area Office, she ensures the delivery of high-quality legal and social services case management, engages regional stakeholders, and oversees the local office’s financial and operational integrity. Morgan previously served as Tahirih’s Director of the Baltimore office, and as a Supervising Immigration Attorney. She also worked for three years as a paralegal at the Law Offices of Robert B. Jobe, a San Francisco-based firm focusing on asylum and deportation defense. She interned with the Immigration and Refugee Services Department of the Spanish Red Cross in Granada, Spain, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Washington, DC, and at a Swiss Refugee Transit Center.

“I am inspired by the strength and courage of the women and girls that I have the privilege of serving at Tahirih. Their unwavering commitment to breaking century-old cycles of violence against women and the courage that it takes to stand up against their families and traditions is remarkable.”

Education

Morgan is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with high honors and the University of California Hastings College of Law, where she served as the Scholarly Publications Editor on the Hastings International and Comparative Law Review and was awarded the Judith Stronach Women’s Rights Fellowship to work with the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS). Morgan also served as a Graduate Research Fellow at CGRS where she drafted a protocol for the investigation of femicides and assisted Professor Karen Musalo in updating sections of her course book related to asylum based on membership in a particular social group. During law school, she interned in the Trial Chambers of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Her undergraduate honors thesis compared the United States and Canadian applications of gender-based guidelines in asylum law.

Awards and Recognition

Morgan was named Leader of the Year by AILA’s DC Chapter Liaison Division in 2013, and in 2008, she won National Championship and First Place Speaker Awards at the UC Davis Asylum Law Moot Court Competition.

Leah Chen Price joined Tahirih in 2017. As a staff attorney with Tahirih’s San Francisco Bay Area office, Leah represents immigrant women and children fleeing violence. Prior to joining Tahirih, Leah was the Human Trafficking Project Director with Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach. There, she provided comprehensive legal services to survivors of all forms of human trafficking and coordinated a local anti-trafficking collaborative. Leah began her legal career as an immigration attorney representing families fighting deportation proceedings in the San Francisco Immigration Court. While in law school, Leah clerked with the Domestic Violence unit of Bay Area Legal Aid, the San Francisco and Alameda Counties Public Defender Offices, the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, and the Center for Justice and Accountability.

Leah serves as a co-chair of the Asian American Bar Association and is a former commissioner with the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission.

“I am deeply inspired by Tahirih’s mission to promote the human rights of courageous women and children fleeing gender-based violence. I am humbled by the challenges our clients have already overcome and it’s an honor to stand together with them on their paths to justice and a better future.”

Education: University of California Hastings College of the Law, JD; University of California Santa Barbara, MA, BA

Shayda joined Tahirih in 2017. As the Bahá’í Service Fellow in our San Francisco office, Shayda works with social services to ensure women and girls receive the community services they need. She also assists the legal and development staff with research and event planning. Prior to joining Tahirih, Shayda served as a Livelihoods Development intern at Aarohi in Nainital District of India and as a Research Assistant at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

“I am so deeply humbled to work alongside these undeniably courageous women and girls. Who have faced horrific violence and abuse that no individual should have to endure and are rising with such resilience and strength in their fight for justice.”

Christine joined Tahirih in 2017 as an Immigration Attorney focusing on serving clients in Santa Clara county. Prior to joining Tahirih, Christine headed the immigration practice at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, where she worked for nearly a decade. Christine started her career as a litigator, and prior to transitioning to legal aid, worked in the intellectual property group at Fenwick & West. In 2013, Christine was awarded the California State Bar President’s Pro Bono award. She has also lived and studied abroad in Paris.

“At Tahirih, I have the privilege of representing women and children who have fled horrible violence with the hope of creating new lives. Despite their adversities, they are kind, generous, patient, and resilient–strengthening our communities with their presence. Tahirih allows me the opportunity to work with these amazing clients and to try to be the change I want to see in the world.”

Lily Mejia joined Tahirih in 2017. As Pro Bono Program Coordinator for the San Francisco Bay Area office, Lily ensures that each Tahirih client’s case is appropriately placed with an attorney in our pro bono network. Prior to joining Tahirih, Lily lived in Nanjing, China where she worked as a teacher. After returning to the U.S., Lily worked as a field representative in the Bay Area with Amnesty International.

“The individuals who seek Tahirih’s help have suffered some of the most unimaginable human rights abuses, yet they remain courageous and steadfast in their pursuits for justice; I am deeply inspired by their heroism to reject victimization. In doing so, these women and girls are not only creating a safer world for themselves, but for many others like them who are in need of freedom from gender-based violence. I am humbled to be afforded the opportunity to be a small part of their success stories.”

Jadma joined Tahirih in 2017. In her role as the Social Services Program Manager, she oversees and supports clients through case management, supportive counseling, and referrals. She has worked at organizations such as The Latin American Association, The International Women’s House, and Tapestri, Inc. Prior to joining Tahirih, she was working at San Francisco Safe House supporting women survivors of sexual exploitation who are marginalized due to multiple intersecting identities. Jadma is originally from Brazil.

“Tahirih’s mission and values gives me a strong base to continue to grow and support brave women and girls. I feel lucky to work for an organization committed to seek innovative ways to bring equality and unity not only to the communities we serve, but also internally to employees.”

Theresa Samuel-Boko joined the Tahirih Justice Center in 2017. As the Development Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, Theresa builds partnerships with private donors, and foundations to identify opportunities and raise critical funds to support Tahirih’s mission.

Prior to joining Tahirih, Theresa served as the Resettlement Manager at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. She is a lifelong advocate for refugees and immigrants and has worked in the Refugee Resettlement field for over a decade providing program management, direct services and advocacy within different regions in the U.S and overseas. Theresa also serves as a board member with Refugee and Immigrant Services International, a nonprofit that provides technical support to International Non-Governmental Organizations to address refugee crises.

“Worldwide, refugee and immigrant women and girls, continue to remain at an increased risk of violence and exploitation, and are therefore less able to cope with trauma and combat the effects of displacement and migration. Tahirih is unique in that it offers a holistic and effective approach in combating gender-based violence, while promoting long term solutions that enhance the ability of women and girls to overcome obstacles and positively integrate into their new communities.”

Tahirih’s Senior Counsel for Policy and Strategy issued this statement after the Florida Senate unanimously passed a historic bill to end child marriage in Florida. The bill must now be passed by the House of Representatives.